What was Zhao Really Thinking?
by Aysinia
Summary: A little one-shot insight into what Zhao was thinking when he was captured by the ocean spirit during the siege on the Northern Water Tribe.


**Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. This was the brain child of Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. These people are awesome! They came up with one of the best shows ever man! I give them many thanks!

**Aysinia: **I always wondered what had happened to Zhao after the ocean spirit captured him during the siege on the Northern Water Tribe. I presumed he was killed but then I got to really thinking…what was really going through his mind…though whacked it may be? So this is how I came up with this idea! Enjoy!

**What was Zhao Really Thinking?**

"Give me your hand!" Prince Zuko called out extending his arm towards the admiral as the giant koi fish spirit was taking him closer and closer to the water and with each passing second closer to death.

Admiral Zhao panted heavily as he tried clawing his way out of the ocean spirit's grasp but to no avail. The spirit was _not_ letting him go! Zhao looked down at Zuko; both of them had their hands outstretched towards each other. Zhao seriously contemplated taking Zuko's hand for just a split second. No! Zhao refused to be rescued by a traitor! He curled his hand back towards his body and glared down at Zuko before being taken under the surface.

If he had looked at him just a moment longer, Zhao would have seen Zuko lower his head in shame. He would have known that Zuko didn't really want to kill him. He would have known that Zuko was only fighting the admiral to get back at him for sending the pirates to kill him. He would have known that Zuko never meant for him to get killed. But it was his fault after all. If Zhao hadn't of tried to kill the moon spirit, this never would have happened.

"_No! This cannot be! I cannot be killed! I am the great Admiral Zhao!" _the admiral coughed and gagged at the salty water entered his mouth and flooded his lungs. He clawed at the hand and writhed trying to get out of its grasp. But nothing was working; it was dragging him deeper and deeper into the bottom of the ocean! Suddenly just as soon as it started…it was over. His vision went black, his body went limp, and his spirit floated up off of his body.

"I can't be dead." Zhao gasped as he looked at his motionless body drifting down to the bottom of the ocean to rot. Then in another split second, he was no longer looking at the inky black depths of the ocean; he was looking at the vast, mountainous landscape with huge animals all around him. A vast forest was between him and the mountains which seemed to have touched the sky. There was an array of ponds, streams, lakes, and rivers all around him. It was a beautiful sight.

"No." Zhao had now realized his mistakes. If only he hadn't of been so arrogant. General Iroh was right; trifling with the spirits _was_ dangerous. But no, he didn't listen to him and now he had paid the ultimate price for his stupidity. Darn it! He hated to admit that Iroh was right. That old man was a fruitcake, a disgrace to the Fire Nation, but he was right! Darn it all! He had written to old guy off as a lunatic; as a matter of fact, he remembered his last words to the general before the siege started. _"I know the spirits frighten you Iroh, but I will not let them scare me. I know a way to defeat the Northern Water Tribe. I plan to take the moon out of the equation."_

Yeah, some job he did. Instead of taking the moon spirit out, _he_ was taken out. Now he would never be able to capture the avatar. Oh it was the avatar's fault eh was in this mess! He was the one who cured the moon spirit, Zhao was sure of it, and the one who fused with the ocean spirit and wreaked havoc on his invasion force. Now that pint-sized traitor would beat him to the punch! He would take all of the glory, the riches, the honor, and he would ne welcomed back to the Fire Nation. And Zhao? Well now he is in the Spirit World for the rest of time. All because he was too arrogant to listen to someone and too arrogant to let someone help him when he needed it the most.

"NO!!!" Zhao let out one last scream of defiance and the harsh reality hit him and hit him hard. The 'Great Admiral Zhao' was dead and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

**Aysinia:** Well I hope you like my little one-shot here. And well on to more stories!


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